Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) working president Sk. Mastan Vali on January 17 (Wednesday) accused the Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of “mortgaging the self-respect of the people of the State to the BJP government at the Centre to save his own skin”.
Addressing a press conference at Andhra Ratna Bhavan here, the Congress leader hit out at the Chief Minister for failing to question the Centre on its failure to fulfil the promises made at the time of the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh. He said while the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy as Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh had won the hearts of the people by launching pathbreaking welfare schemes, his son had crushed his father’s dreams by resorting to an autocratic rule and depriving people of their fundamental rights.
The State Congress leader slammed the Central government for conducting the ‘Pran Prathista’ ceremony in an incomplete Ayodhya Ram Temple. Pointing to the fact that all four Shankaracharyas had refused to attend the inauguration ceremony, he wondered why the BJP was in a hurry to inaugurate an under-construction temple.
Mr. Mastan Vali said the Congress had decided to stay away from the inauguration of the temple, as the BJP was politicising it with an eye on the forthcoming elections.
APCC vice-presidents Kolanukonda Sivaji and Meesala Rajeswara Rao, general secretaries B. Nageswara Rao, Khurshida, Shaik Nagur and others were present.
AICC’s AP in-charge Manickam Tagore criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent on the key issue of Special Category Status (SCS) during his visit to Andhra Pradesh on January 16.
Taking to ‘X’, he questioned Mr. Modi on why A.P. was being discriminated against in such a manner. He also questioned the silence of the Chief Minister, as well as that of TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu and his political ally and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan over the issue. “What is the reason for this fear?” he asked the trio.
